My practice

WHO	Solo + Group
WHERE	Group-room
MATERIAL
FACILITATOR	Host

Intention: The intention of this task is threefold: - become aware of the learning this gathering - define specific commitments - make sure our commitments are realistic, practical, relevant When we go through a gathering we might become aware of five new things, but our capacity to do something with all of them is limited. Therefore, we have to be strategic about what we choose to implement and cultivate. When planning a practice-program for yourself, it is important to be realistic. The first question is how much time you would realistically be able to spend on your practice, not how much time you would use in an ideal world. An important part of my practice is following them up, and keeping what you promised yourself. If nothing unforeseen occurs, then you will be carrying out each session as you planned it. For that reason, it is important to be realistic about the amount of time you want to spend on a program. Decide based on what kind of person you are right now (rather than the person you would like to be), how busy you are, and how complicated your life is, and make plans and commitments on that basis. An important part of this is also the act of committing. A commitment is a promise or agreement to do something. We aim to cultivate integrity through the program, to avoid the act of fooling ourselves and others. When we commit, we act and follow through to the best of our ability. We end the gathering with this to assure that we don't try to change too many things at once, to assure that we make slow and steady process through the program, and to assure that the program results in actual behavior change.

How:

1	(10min) Reflect on your learning experience at this gathering. Guiding questions: What are my key takeaways? What am I in the process of learning? What am I in the process of learning about myself? In what way is this relevant in my day to day life?
2	(10min) Based on these reflections define specific points that you commit to. Try to make sure that each commitment is realistic and that you have few enough commitments to ensure slow and steady progress. Two categories of commitments to think about: Actions: What will I commit to do? (Specific actions). Example: "I will talk to person x about this issue within this time" Practice: What will I be practicing? (Repeated focus) Example: "I will practice getting up at this time in the morning on weekdays to be able to do ..."
3	(20min) Share your commitments with your group and aiding each other in choosing commitments that have an actual effect and are practically doable. How will you support and follow eachother up with these commitments?

| References

Barnett, Susan M., and Stephen J. Ceci. 2002. “When and Where Do We Apply What We Learn?: A Taxonomy for Far Transfer.” Psychological Bulletin 128 (4): 612–37. doi:10.1037//0033-2909.128.4.612.

Brown, Peter C. 2014. Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

Butler, Andrew C., and Henry L. Roediger. 2011. “Testing Improves Long-Term Retention in a Simulated Classroom Setting.”Kilgo, Cindy A., Jessica K. Ezell Sheets, and Ernest T. Pascarella. 2015. “The Link between High-Impact Practices and Student Learning: Some Longitudinal Evidence.” Higher Education: The International Journal of Higher Education and Educational Planning 69 (4): 509–25. doi:10.1007/s10734-014-9788-z.

Kosslyn, Stephen M. 2015. Image and Brain. Vol. 25. http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0960982214016194.

| Further Reading

Atomic Habits Book / Atomic Habits Cheat Sheet - No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviours that lead to remarkable results.